Pokémon: Above the Top-Chapter 260: A Different Kind of Sandslash

The entrance to the Seafloor Cavern wasn't very large, so the submarine had to navigate through it extremely carefully.

Thankfully, the surrounding waters were calm, with no invisible deadly undercurrents.

The submarine angled downward for over ten minutes, then ascended at an even steeper slope for five to six minutes. From this, it was easy to imagine that the cave passage roughly formed a hook shape.

As the submarine began to surface, everyone took the opportunity to prepare.

Clack!

The hatch opened, and the first to emerge was Steven, now wearing a gas mask. Since the environment of the Seafloor Cavern was unknown, caution was necessary.

Soon after, Sato, Joseph, and Mark followed one after the other, each fully equipped.

The four crew members weren't part of the combat team, so they stayed behind in the submarine to await their return.

Once everyone stepped onto solid ground, Sato still felt a bit dazed. The same went for Mark and Joseph.

"Metagross!" Upon landing, Steven immediately sent out his ace Pokémon.

Steel-types were immune to Poison-type moves and had strong resistances to many others. Even in low-oxygen environments, Steel-type Pokémon could endure for a short time without being affected.

So using Metagross for the initial survey was far more effective than any sophisticated device.

After a while, Metagross showed no signs of distress and was breathing normally, putting the team a little more at ease.

But that wasn't all. According to the previously discussed plan, Sato then tossed out another Poké Ball, Ariados.

As a "master of poisons", Ariados had been conditioned through constant exposure to toxins. Sato sent it out specifically to detect if there were any toxins in the air.

"Dos!"

Soon, Ariados shook its head at Sato, signaling that the air was clean and safe to breathe.

Steven nodded to the others, then slowly removed his mask and took a cautious breath, giving them a thumbs up.

Seeing this, the other three followed suit and removed their gas masks.

"The air's really fresh... kind of chilly too. Feels great," Mark said, exaggeratingly inhaling a few extra breaths.

"Cut it out and keep up!"

Joseph gave Mark a tug as he stood there spacing out; Steven and Sato were already heading deeper in.

"Metagross, Flash!"

"Umbreon, Flash!"

Sato switched to having Umbreon by his side. When it came to offense, no one surpassed Metagross, but in this entirely unfamiliar environment, survival was the top priority.

And for that, Umbreon was the best choice.

Of course, Gengar was also released, silently diving into Sato's shadow without a sound.

Joseph sent out his Florges, while Mark, predictably, stuck with his eternal partner: Arbok.

None of them sent out more Pokémon. The cavern wasn't very spacious, and having too many around would just create interference.

Then Sato positioned Mark and Joseph in the middle while he took up the rear guard.

Steven watched all of this silently, making mental notes and harboring renewed doubts about the strength of Sato's two companions.

But now that the exploration had begun, it clearly wasn't the time for questions. If danger did arise, he'd just have to step in where he could; at least that's what he thought.

What Steven didn't know was that while Joseph and Mark might not be strong in battle, their strengths lay elsewhere.

No worries. He'd get to witness them soon enough.

The ground near the cave entrance was relatively slippery, but after walking for about ten minutes, the floor had become much drier. With every step, they could even feel the sandy texture beneath their feet.

"Hold on!"

Steven, walking ahead, suddenly stopped the group and had Metagross illuminate a particular corner.

"Moss? How could plants grow in a place without light?" Joseph frowned.

"It's not entirely without light. Metagross, lower the brightness a bit," Steven said softly from the side.

Metagross responded, and the glowing steel cross on its face quickly dimmed. Soon, everyone could see many sparkling crystalline particles embedded in the cave walls.

"White crystal, it's a type of fluorite often found in caves beneath rivers or oceans. It emits a faint glow," Steven rattled off effortlessly, like a walking encyclopedia.

Everyone silently agreed... Steven truly loved rocks!

That explained why the air in this underwater cavern was so clean. Moss usually indicated decent air quality.

The group pressed onward, occasionally spotting patches of green moss in narrow crevices.

In some spots, even a few lonely blades of grass struggled to grow, basking in the faint glow of the white crystals.

"Be extra careful, everyone. The presence of plant life usually means good air, but it could also mean we're in a Pokémon-inhabited area."

Steven, seeing Mark acting like he was strolling through a park, couldn't help but issue a reminder.

"Really? There are actually Pokémon living this deep? What kind? What kind?" Mark latched onto the word "Pokémon" and nothing else.

"..." Steven looked like he was "constipated".

"Just stop talking." Joseph sighed, too tired to explain. 'Let him be an idiot... as long as he doesn't cause trouble.'

Still, thanks to Mark's "antics", the group's tension eased a bit.

----

If they encountered something, they'd fight. If they couldn't win, they'd just run.

And almost as if the cave was responding to Mark's expectations, a brown blur suddenly darted past a rock on the front-right side.

"Here it comes," Steven said in a low voice, as Metagross quickly assumed battle position.

New n𝙤vel chapters are published on freeweɓnøvel.com.

"Laaaash~"

A slightly frantic cry came from behind the rock. Metagross slowly approached, which caused the brown figure to suddenly lunge toward it.

"It's a Sandslash!" Mark shouted, recognizing the attacker, just as Metagross launched its move.

Bullet Punch!

All anyone saw was a blur from Sandslash's leap, and then it was flying backward from the impact.

It came fast and went faster...

The moment it hit the ground, the Sandslash didn't retaliate at all. It instantly began digging and fled underground.

"Looks like this cavern has developed its own ecosystem. Things are probably going to get more complex from here, which is a good thing. The odds of finding something valuable are higher," Steven said with the voice of experience.

If a Sandslash could survive in this seafloor cavern, it surely wasn't just living off moss. That meant there had to be other organisms inside.

That thought stirred both excitement and caution in the team. They had only just encountered a regular Sandslash, but who's to say there weren't stronger Pokémon deeper in?

At the rear of the group, a hint of doubt passed through Sato's eyes. Because of Dark Energy, his night vision was excellent.

And in that fleeting moment of observation, he noticed something strange... the color of that Sandslash's skin was noticeably paler than normal.